In a multilayer capacitor, dielectric layers and internal electrodes are alternately laminated, and in general, a ferroelectric material having a relatively high dielectric constant, such as barium titanate, is used as a ceramic material which constitutes the dielectric layer. When an AC voltage is applied to such a multilayer capacitor, distortion occurs in the dielectric layer due to an electrostrictive effect of the ceramic material, and the multilayer capacitor in itself vibrates. The vibration of the multilayer capacitor is transmitted to a substrate mounting the multilayer capacitor via solder or other means. Due to the vibration transmitted to the substrate, resonance occurs in the substrate with consequent amplification of the vibration, thus causing vibration sound in the substrate. When the frequency of the vibration in the substrate reaches the audible frequency range, then audible sound is generated from the substrate. That is, a phenomenon of so-called “acoustic noise” occurs. More specifically, in cases where the multilayer capacitor is mounted, at a pair of external electrodes thereof, on the substrate via solder, the substrate becomes deformed due to the vibration of the multilayer capacitor transmitted thereto through the solder adherent to the pair of external electrodes, and consequently vibration sound is generated in the substrate.
To reduce vibration sound in the substrate, use has been made of a multilayer capacitor comprising: a multilayer capacitor main body having a pair of external electrodes disposed one at each of a pair of opposed end faces thereof; and a pair of external terminals each joined to the corresponding one of the pair of external electrodes. In such a multilayer capacitor, the pair of external terminals are joined to the pair of external electrodes, and the multilayer capacitor is mounted on the substrate so that the multilayer capacitor main body is disposed apart from the substrate using the pair of external terminals. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce transmission of vibration generated in the multilayer capacitor main body to the substrate, and thereby restrain vibration sound ascribable to the multilayer capacitor main body from occurring in the substrate. An example of such a multilayer capacitor is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.